A poem by Pablo Neruda. This came from his book "Cien Sonetos de Amor" (100 Love Sonnets). The whole book was translated by Stephen Tapscott. It got me really interested since Neruda dedicated the work to his beloved wife, Matilde Urrutia. I was drawn to the sonnets' vivid interpretation with its passionate and amorous feel. Melodramatic but moving.
(Spanish)
LXVI
No te quiero sino porque te quiero
y de quererte a no quererte llego
y de esperarte cuando no te espero
pasa mi corazon del frio al fuego.
Te quiero solo porque a ti te quiero,
te odio sin fin, y odindote te nargo,
y la medida de mi amor viajero
es no verte y amarte como un ciego.
Tal vez consumira la luz de enero,
su rayo cruel, mi corazon entero
robindome la llave del sosiego.
En esta historia solo yo me muero
y morire de amor porque te quiero,
porque te quiero, amor, a sangre y fuego.
(English)
66th sonnet
I do not love you--except because I love you,
I go from loving to not loving you,
from waiting to not waiting for you
my heart moves from the cold into
the fire. I love you only because it's you
I love; I hate you no end, and hating you,
and the measure of my changing love for you
is that I do not see you but love you
blindly. Maybe the January light will consume
my heart with its cruel
ray, stealing my key to true
calm. In this part of the story I am the one who
dies, the only one, and I will die of love because I love you,
because I love you, Love, in fire and in blood.
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